Dispensing means for paste tubes



July 5, 1955 w. c. STAUFFER 2,712,400

DISPENSING MEANS FOR PASTE TUBES Filed April 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l lek" 29 v l.l` l Wayne 0. Stauffer ,7 INVENTOR. /9 /6 Qi. 9 a 7 BY vw 32 WM M5510:

July 5, 1955 w. c. sTAUFFER 2,712,400

DISPENSING MEANS FOR PASTE TUBES Filed April 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 8 39 44 Wayne 0. Stauffer l IN V EN TOR.

fw BY www 153mm brad The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in dispensing means for the contents of toothpaste, shaving cream and other paste tubes.

An important object of the invention is to provide a casing for a paste tube with mechanism therein for extruding the contents ot' the tube and a cover carried by i the casing for a dispensing opening to which the neck of the tube is connected and wherein the dispensing mechanism is actuated by a predetermined opening movement of the cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cover i for the dispensing opening of a paste tube and providing a stationary magnet which forms a catch for holding the cover in closed position.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is ehicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operations as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which;

Figure l is a perspective view of the casing for the paste tube;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on aline 2 2 of Figure l;

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views taken respectively on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a modified cover construction and showing the latter in closed position;

Figure 6 is a similar View showing the cover in open position;

Figure 7 is a top plan View; and,

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on a line 8 8 of Figure 7.

Referring new to the drawings in detail and first with respect to the specific construction illustrated in Figures l to 4 inclusive the numeral 5 designates a substantially rectangular shaped casing which may be constructed of a suitabie commercial plastic or other nonmagnetic material and having a removable top 6 and a fixed bottom 7 in which a nipple S is molded or otherwise suitably secured to provide a dispensing opening 9. r[he inner portion of the opening 9 is internally threaded for threadedly connecting the neck 11 of a paste tube 12 thereto, in a manner to firmly hold the tube in an inverted position in the casing 5.

A door 13 is hinged at its lower end 14 at the front of the casing 5 to facilitate loading the paste tube 12 in the casing and for the removal thereof from the casing and the door is held in a closed position by a catch 1S of a suitable type.

A cover i6 for the dispensing opening 9 is hingedly connected to the bottom 7 of the casing by a hinge struc* ture 17 at the back of the casing and stationary magnets i3 and i9 are inserted respectively in the lower front ice portion of casing 5 and in the free edge of cover 16 in a position to contact each other when the cover 16 is closed and to mutually attract each other to hold the cover in a closed position against the lower end 7 of the casing whereby to close the dispensing opening 9.

A feed screw 2G is positioned longitudinally in the casing 5 with one end journaled in the top 6 of the casing and with its other end journaled in the bottom 7 thereof. A traveler 21 is formed with a threaded bore 22 in which the feed screw is received and is positioned. between a pair of toothed rollers 23 which are rotatably supported on a shaft 24 carried by the traveler and pro- Jiecting outwardly at opposite sides thereof. The peripheries of the rollers 23 are positioned in opposing relation with respect to the inside of the door 13 to compress the paste tube 12 against the door and extrude the contents of the tube from the opening 9. The rear edge of traveler- 2i is provided with a spring mounting 25 for a roller 26 to bear against the rear wall of the casing.

A ratchet wheel 27 is secured to the lower end of feed screw 29 and with the teeth of which a pawl 28 is engaged and is secured to the inner end of a plunger 29 projecting outwardly at the rear of the casing and formed at its outer end with a head 36 behind which a coil spring 31 is positioned to hold the plunger in an outwardly projected position. The cover 16 is formed with a downwardly projecting ngergrip 32 which is positioned adjacent the rear hinged edge of the cover whereby the fingergrip will swing upwardly behind the casing 5 into a position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawings and the head 36 of plunger 29 is positioned in the path of upward and inward movement of fingergrip 32, when the cover is moved into its open position whereby the plunger will be depressed and actuate the pawl and ratchet 27 and 28 to thus turn the feed screw 2d and feed the traveler 21 and pressure rollers 23 downwardly in the casing and during which the rollers will compress the rear or upper end of the paste tube in a manner to eXtrude the contents through the dispensing opening 9.

In Figures 5 to 8 inclusive l have illustrated a modied cover or closure construction for the paste tube for use when it is desired to manually compress or squeeze the paste tube to extrude the contents thereof. In this `form of invention a substantially L-shaped adaptor designated generally at 33 is provided and includes a vertical leg portion 34 adapted for positioning vertically at one side of a paste tube 3S and a horizontal portion 36 having a threaded dispensing opening 37 therein in which the neck 38 of the paste tube is threadedly connected. A cover 39 is pivoted to the member 33 by means of a pin 4t) carried by the latter whereby the cover may swing into and out of position on top of the member 33 for closing the dispensing opening 37. A tingergrip 40 projects rearwardly from the cover 39 to facilitate the opening and closing movement thereof and a {ingergrip 41 also projects upwardly from the cover at right angles to the ngergrip 4) to further facilitate the manipulation of the cover.

A locking pin 42 is slidably carried by the member 33 and is projected upwardly therefrom by means of a coil spring 43 positioned behind the locking pin. When the cover 39 is raised the locking pin 42 is projected upwardly by spring 43 into a position in front of the cover as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, to hold the cover in its raised or open position. The upper end of locking pin i2 is beveled as shown at 44 and against which the underside of the cover is adapted to ride to facilitate retracting movement of the locking pin when the cover is moved into its closed position.

The member 33 and cover 39 are constructed of a plastic or other suitable non-magnetic material and stationary magnet inserts 45 and 46 are embedded in the member 33 and cover 39 respectively in a position for mutually attracting each other to hold the cover 39 in closed position.

In view of the foregoing description taken in con junction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A paste tube dispenser comprising a casing including a side wall and'one end having a dispensing opening in which the neck of a tube is engaged, mechanism in the casing for extruding the contents of the v tube through the opening, a cover for the opening carried by said one end of said casing for swinging move ment about a horizontal axis, actuating means for said Y mechanism on said side wall of said casing and means of opening movement of the cover, and means operatively connecting the plunger to the traveler.

4, The combination of claim 1 wherein said extruding mechanism includes a feed screw, pawl and ratchet operating means therefor, a traveler on the feed screw, a pressure roller carried by the traveler and engaging the paste tube, and plunger operating means for the pawl and ratchet and disposed in the path of opening movement of the cover.

5` The combination of claim 1 wherein said actuating means includes a plunger carried by the casing in the path of opening movement of the cover, said means on said cover comprising a finger grip angulated with respect to the plane of said cover engaging said plunger.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein magnetic inserts are mounted in said one end of said casing and said cover to retain said cover in closed position.

' References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,311,354` King July 29, 1919 1,695,599 Merzoian Dec. 18, 1928 1,841,275 Baptiste Ian. 12, 1932 1,930,821 Newcomer et al. Oct. 17, 1933 2,001,983 Spiros May 21, 1935 2,004,015 Scott lune 4, 1935 2,085,673 Roache June 29, 1937 2,288,688 Dubilier Iuly 7, 1942 2,379,475 Campfens et al. July 3, 1945 2,511,038 Bergeron June 13, 1950 2,543,667 'Palmer Feb. 27, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 604,646 Great Britain `uly 7, 1948 

